By Yuvraj Singh
James Bond has always been known for his gadgets. James Bond has had some badass tech over the years- wristwatch lasers, passenger ejector seats. More than anything else, James Bond is known for three things: women, cars, and gadgets.
Ironically, Ian Flemming’s novels about the rebellious MI6 secret agent didn’t feature the wildly fantastic weapons and electronics found in most of the Bond movies. That’s why the recent reboots with Daniel Craig is attempting to bring the series back to its roots. The emphasis is heavy on hand-to-hand combat and light on tech. Still, we would be remiss to discount the impact and influence all the cool toys Bond has used over the years. Spectre being the 23rd James Bond film, let us look back through the last 22 to find some of our coolest on-screen gadgets. Some are incredible!
1. Sony-Ericsson C902 (Quantum of Solace, 2008)
Bond’s phone in Quantum of Solace wasn’t able to zap his enemies or remote control his car, but it was able to perform one cool trick. The C902 had image-identification capabilities that connected to the MI6 computers and allowed him to scan a crowd for criminals
2. Cigarette Rocket ( You only Live Twice, 1967)
“This cigarette can save your life!” That’s what Tiger Tanaka tells Bond after he shows him the cigarette rocket that is “accurate up to 30 yards.” Despite the demonstration, Bond still seems unimpressed. Had that been us, we would have placed an order for 20 cartons.
3. Rocket Gun ( You only Live Twice, 1967)
James Bond’s guns of choice may have been the Walther PPK, and then P99, but hands down one of the coolest pistols 007 ever fired was the Gyro jet rocket gun. Despite its diminutive size, the rocket guns, as its name implies, packed a wallop of a punch thanks to its rocket-propelled ammunition. Developed and tested for the U.S. and British military, the prototypes now go for a hefty sum at auction.
4. Dagger Shoes (From Russia With Love, 1963)
The dagger shoe has become a staple of movie weaponry. The Joker had one in his arsenal in The Dark Knight, it also made an appearance in The Punisher, and, more recently, Salt. But it all started here. Used by SPETRE agents, the seemingly regular pair of formal shoes contained a sharp dagger that would pop out and make kicks all the more deadly.
5. “Little Nellie” (You Live Only Twice, 1967)
Nicknamed “Little Nellie” this futuristic aircraft was able to propel Bond in the air and came equipped with rocket launchers, smart missiles, air mines, machine guns, and flamethrowers. Oh, and it was able to be broken down and stored in suitcases.
6. Wrist Darts (Moonracker, 1979)
In the event Bond found himself in a situation that hand-to-hand combat, laser cutters, or his Walther pistol couldn’t get him out of, 007 tucked his diminutive dart shooter under his cuff. When activated, it shot out cyanide-laced and armor-piercing darts. Sometimes subtly works best.
7. X-Ray Glasses ( The World Is Not Enough, 1999)
X-Ray glasses, like moving sidewalks and jet packs, are another thing we as kids thought would be here by now. Alas, they’re still the domain of science fiction. We’re surprised it took until 1999 to get a pair of x-ray specs into a Bond movie.
8. Bell Rocket Belt (Thunder Ball, 1965)
James Bond’s low-powered propulsion pack was another product created for real-world military use that made its way to film. Designed and built by Bell Aerosystems in the 1960s, the Rocket Belt used heated water vapor, nitrogen gas, and hydrogen peroxide to lift a person nearly 30 feet into the air. That was high enough for 007 to escape to his Aston Martin DB5 after killing SPECTRE agent Jacques Bouvar.
